VETERAN CALYPSONIAN Stedson Red Plastic Bag Wiltshire is concerned today’s artists are failing to see the big picture when it comes to their work.
“There will always be [a place for] funny songs and there will always be songs outside the traditional box,” he said, “but it is how we treat them and if that is going to be the standard upon which all our music will be judged and this is something radio stations and deejays must ask themselves and be conscious of.”
Speaking to the media after the 2011 launch of calypso tent De ADC Digicel Big Show on Thursday in the Almond Bay conference centre, Hastings, Christ Church, Wiltshire said he was not knocking the contribution of youth in calypso and the arts as they were the ones taking them forward.
“I don’t [overly] criticize young people. They are making a significant contribution to Crop Over, 98 per cent or more of our Crop Over music comes from young people, so we should not be bashing our young people, rather, we should be supportive of them and give them a chance to express themselves.
“I just want to urge them that when they are making a song, do not make it just for Crop Over but make it for the world where it could be played anytime, anywhere. I believe they have the ability but just need to recognize the fact [that] music is a universal language and what they think is a song just for Crop Over could be a song that can take on the world,” he said. (CA)
